PROVO -- Two separate fires Sunday destroyed a Chinese restaurant and left a man without a home.
Fire broke out about 11 p.m. in the kitchen at Grandview Cafe, 330 W. 100 North, which was closed at the time. Fire crews from four stations arrived to find smoke pouring from the windows and doors. Twenty firefighters battled the blaze until just after 1 a.m., said Provo Fire Department spokesman Lynn Schofield."We still don't have a cause," he said Monday.
Firefighters estimated damage at $125,000. Grandview Cafe was a longtime fixture in downtown Provo. Schofield speculated that the owners will have to tear down the building remains and rebuild to get back in business.
Overloaded electrical circuits in the living room were to blame for a blaze that erupted in a mobile home at 556 W. 500 North about 3:30 p.m. Sunday, Schofield said. The trailer's lone occupant, Jeffrey Nielsen, was able to escape without injury.
It took 16 firefighters from three stations about an hour to extinguish the flames, Schofield said. Damage is estimated at $30,000. Nielsen had accommodations Sunday night, Schofield said, but he's not sure what arrangements are being made to provide Nielsen shelter and food.
Electrical fires are common this time of year as people use more power than usual for Christmas decorations, Schofield said.
"This is a cause for lots and lots of fires," he said.
Schofield admonished people to use common sense when stringing Christmas bulbs together.
"Four hundred strands of lights strung all together won't work," he said.
Schofield suggested people not connect more than two or three strands of lights in one line and follow manufacturer's recommendations. He further advised people to use surge-protected power strips instead of extension cords.
The holiday season also is a good time to ensure smoke detectors are working, he said.